In the fall, Arendell Parrott Academy boys’ soccer won its first conference title for the school. The Patriots defeated rival St. David’s Academy on Oct. 8, 3-1, to win the Eastern Plains Independence Conference title.

The teams were tied at 1 going into halftime, with Parrott coming back for the win. Alexander Henderson, Wyatt Webster and Oscar Avila scored for the Patriots, while APA goal keeper Tripp Combs had six saves.

Earlier in the year, the Kinston girls’ soccer team also completed a KHS first.

With a 1-0 win over Tarboro on May 1, the Vikings claimed a share of the Eastern Plains 2A Conference title, something that hadn’t been done by a girls’ soccer team at the school before then.

9. Cornwell ends season right

It was hard to forget a 0-6 start, but coach Paul Cornwell’s year-end honors made it easy to move past.

During the Carolina Panthers versus New York Jets game on Dec. 15, he was named the Carolina Panthers High School Coach of the Year. He was in the running after being Coach of the Week in October.

He was selected from a group of 10 coaches from North and South Carolina in a ceremony at the game.

8. Learning experience for Keyes

Kinston athlete Denzel Keyes had a choice to make between which All-Star game in which he wanted to participate: basketball or football.

Because his college football season was closer, he chose to compete on the gridiron for the 2013 North Carolina Coaches Association East-West football game. He was the only player in the area to compete in the football game this year.

But the West came out with a 14-7 victory on July 24 after West cornerback Tyriek Able beat out Keyes to the grab the game’s final throw — a game-ending interception.

Before he began his athletic career at North Carolina A&T, he said he realized you have to get out and get better if you want success. He went on to play Aggies football alongside his older brother, Angelo.

7. Kinston-Lenoir crushes New Bern in championship game

The 12-U Kinston-Lenoir County National League All-Stars were called the best hitters in Lenoir County after beating the New Bern All-Stars for the Cal Ripken District 6 Championship on July 8.

All ten started reached base for the Nationals, with seven players having a multi-hit game. Nine of the starters scored at least one run, as the team had 19 hits for a 20-7 victory.

Four Kinston-Lenoir pitchers combined to hold New Bern to three hits over six innings, striking out eight hitters.

6. UNC offers Ingram

The state’s top-ranked recruit had six scholarship offers before he turned 16. Brandon Ingram’s sixth one came from UNC on July 30, having offers from several other schools.

The 6-foot-7 junior forward is a Kinston basketball standout with another entire year left to develop. He said he will make his decision his senior year and had one more offer (Clemson) since the Tar Heels’ bid.

5. Bound for Broncos

The most decorated player at Kinston High signed with Fayetteville State University basketball on May 15.

During his four-year Kinston career, Josh Dawson won three state championships. The 6-foot-1 point guard went on to start for the Broncos, playing in his first home game on Nov. 12.

The two-time area player of the year said FSU seemed to want him the most — which the institution lived up to as Dawson became a starting freshman.

4. Ayden-Grifton dismantles Kinston

Kinston football was the top team in the Eastern Carolina 2A conference until it met Ayden-Grifton on Nov. 1.

The Chargers were successfully recovering from a 0-6 start of the 2013 season by sweeping the first three conference opponents before the Kinston contest. While Ayden-Grifton would go on to win the title and defeat all teams in the EC2A, the Chargers wouldn’t do so without dishing the Vikings a historic 76-0 loss.

The shutout was the worst loss in Kinston football history and kept the Chargers perfect in their amazing conference run.

Ayden-Grifton scored on each of their 10 drives, finishing the game with 568 yards on 64 rushes without ever attempting a pass. Two Chargers running backs had more than 200 yards, respectively, while five different players found the end zone.

The show became the Performance of the Year in the 2013 All-Free Press honors.

3. ‘Came up short’

The New York Jets’ loss to the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 15 spoiled Quinton Coples historic return to North Carolina.

The Jets linebacker from Kinston became the first professional football player from the town to compete professionally in North Carolina.

Coples recorded five tackles and a sack in the loss against a Cam Newton-powered offense, while a group of Kinstonians went to Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium to support.

Though the linebacker made Kinston history that Sunday, the loss hovered over the accomplishment.

2. We won BOTH of them

The Kinston boys’ basketball team two-peating as state champions was one grand feat, but the girls’ doing it was downright history.

Both Kinston basketball squads emerged from the 2012-13 season as 2A state champions on March 16— the fourth in five years for the boys and the first for the girls in school history.

The boys defeated their 2012 matchupWaxhaw Cutherberson, 63-56, for the second consecutive time on the championship stage. It was the one of the only two teams the Vikings had lost to during the regular season.

Earlier that day, the girls beat Canton Pisgah, 51-40, for their first championship.

Lydia Rivers took home MVP honors for the girls with 13 points and nine blocks, while Denzel Keyes won MVP for 18 points and 10 rebounds.

1. Overcoming the odds

Kinston standout Reggie Bullock forewent his final season at UNC to declare for the NBA draft.

The 6-foot-7 swingman’s life changed when NBA commissionerDavid Stern called his name on June 27. Bullock was selected 25th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Bullock threw his draft party in Kinston, where his closest friends and family shared the moment with him.

He reflected on how the hardships of his growing up in East Kinston were the center of his strength, courage and drive, as he “finally made it” to the league.

The Clippers chose Bullock with their only draft pick of 2013, who were taken over by former Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.

“It’s a blessing to be in this position, making it to the NBA,” Bullock said, “but the work doesn’t stop here. I still got a long way to go to prove to myself that I belong there. I’m ready for the challenge.”